Investments
Election Day and your investments: What to expect
Election Day 2024 is here, and the markets are feeling the pressure. After a long streak of gains, the S&P 500 slipped for two weeks in a row, with October marking its first monthly drop since July. Political uncertainty is adding fuel to market volatility, and what happens next may depend heavily on Tuesday’s results.…
Read MoreThierry Hasse: All eyes are on Big Five tech company earnings reports this week
U.S. equity markets finally stopped reaching new record highs last week. Anxiety about the looming presidential election generated increased volatility in financial markets, especially for fixed-income investors. Treasury yields jumped 15 to 20 basis points during the week, hitting levels not seen since July 2024. Ten-year Treasury Notes are now yielding 4.25%, which is 0.65%…
Read MoreThierry Hasse: The bull keeps charging! US markets hit record highs – but can it last?
U.S. stock markets continued to climb, hitting record highs last week as strong earnings reports from multiple industries lifted equities higher. This steady grind upward reflects solid fundamentals across the financial, technology, and small-cap sectors. However, with the U.S. presidential election just a few weeks away and potential market volatility on the horizon, investors should…
Read MoreThierry Hasse: U.S. strength endures amid challenges and earnings surges
The U.S. stock market continues to hit new highs, with the S&P 500 closing above 5,800 for the first time and the symbolic 6,000 mark just around the corner. What’s remarkable is that these milestones are being achieved despite significant external disruptions. Most notably, Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, hit Florida’s west coast, causing…
Read MoreThierry Hasse: Strong jobs report underscores strength of economy
Last month the Federal Reserve clearly signaled its intention to support the labor market in the event it shows signs of weakness. Well, there was nothing weak in the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report released on Friday, Oct. 4. Every aspect of this key economic report was much stronger than even the most optimistic…
Read MoreThe Elevage Partners outlook for the remainder of the year
The war in Ukraine is closing on its third year. The Middle East is witnessing worrisome escalation between Israel and Iran and its terror proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis from Yemen). Hurricane Helene just delivered catastrophic destruction across the Southeast. Dockworkers at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports have started a strike that could…
Read MoreThierry Hasse: The markets say let the good times roll
“Let the good times roll” should be playing in the background as equity markets registered another week of gains and reached fresh new highs on the back of the Federal Reserve’s unexpectedly large reduction in interest rates. Even the beleaguered Chinese stock market managed to have its best weekly performance since the great financial crisis…
Read MoreThierry Hasse: A positive surprise from the Fed
The Federal Reserve surprised many market participants — us included – by reducing interest rates by 50 basis points during the Federal Open Markets Committee meeting on Sept. 18. The decision was not unanimous: Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman became the first to dissent since 2005. She was in favor of a rate cut but…
Read MoreThierry Hasse: Volatility reinforces how patient, long-term investing is a virtue
What a difference a week makes! We closed the first trading week of the month with the worst performance for equity markets since the regional bank crisis in early 2023, when Silicon Valley Bank, with over $200 billion in assets, went bankrupt in a matter of days. Financial pundits were bracing for further decline amid…
Read MoreThierry Hasse: Jittery investors face a long 10 days waiting on the Fed
U.S. equity investors can be thankful that last week was an abbreviated trading week as the stock markets were simply ugly across the board. The U.S. stock market closed out a negative week as economic worries are growing. The S&P 500 Index, a measure of broad market performance, declined 4.3% last week. It was the…
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